IPMS South Africa - Ratel ICV - INFANTRY COMBAT VEHICLE

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Ratel ICV - INFANTRY COMBAT VEHICLE

Written by William Marshall - SA Colour & Markings Armour
Sunday, 09 July 2000
Page 1 of 10 The Honey Badger. 'Ratel' is the Afrikaans name for the Honey Badger, a small aggressive African animal that does not seem to know the word fear, and which is capable of absorbing a great deal of injury and still continue fighting. The Ratel Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV) was designed to meet the requirement of the SA Infantry Corps in the mechanised role. The vehicle was also adopted for use by the SA Armoured Corps in the anti-tank role. The Ratel replaced the British-supplied Saracen 6X6 armoured personnel carrier as the Mechanised Infantry's main means of transport. It is classified as a Infantry Combat Vehicle (ICV). Infantry can fight from inside the vehicle by using the firing ports or be dismounted on or near their objective. The vehicle was designed for use in Africa and is equipped with wheels rather than tracks for mobility and reliability over long distances. The Ratel is expected to cover 80000 km before major repairs are needed. Design work on the Ratel started in 1968 with the first prototypes being completed in 1974 and the first production series vehicles being delivered in 1976. The Mk II entered service in 1979 and the improved version, the Mk III, was already in production in 1988. VEHICLE TYPES: The Ratel ZT-3 127mm anti-tank. The Ratel was developed into the following variants : Ratel 20mm ICV. Ratel Command 12,7mm. Ratel 90mm FSV. Ratel Logistics (Prototype only). Ratel 81mm Mortar. Ratel ZT-3 127mm Anti-Tank. Ratel 60mm Mortar. Ratel Repair Vehicle. << Start < Prev 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Next > End >>
Last Updated ( Monday, 12 February 2007 )